Display container for individually wrapped articles of merchandise and supporting tray therefor



Jan. 15, 1952 1', BUTTERY 2,582,476

DISPLAY CONTAINER FOR INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED ARTICLES OF MERCHANDISE AND SUPPORTING TRAY THEREFOR Filed June 20, 1949 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Jan. 15, 1952 UNITEDTSTAT DISPLAY CONTAINER FOR INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED ARTICLES OF MERCHANDISE AND SUPPORTING TRAY THEREFOR Kenneth T. Buttery, Kalamazoo, Mich., assignor to Sutherland Paper Company, Kalamazoo,

Mich.

Application June 20, 1949, Serial No. 100,168

This invention relates to improvements in display package for individually wrapped articles of merchandise and supporting tray therefor.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a display package for articles of merchandise such,-for example, as stick candy in which the sticks are individually wrapped and individually supported.

Second, to provide a display package having these advantages in which the merchandise is very attractively displayed and is supported so that it does not become unwrapped or the wrappers loosened during shipment or handling of the package. I

Third, to provide a tray for wrapped articles having these advantages and which permits the very rapid positioning of the merchandise to be supported in the tray. 7

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is pointed out in the claims.

' A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: I

Fig/1 is a perspective view of a package embodying my invention with the tray partially withdrawn from the container.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the tray. 1

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the blank from which the tray is formed.

In the accompanying drawing the container l is of the tubular elongated type and is provided with end closure members 2 and 33. The closure member 2 is provided with a tucking flap 4. The top wall of the container is provided with a window opening 5 closed by a transparent panel 6. The structural details of the container form no part of this invention.

The merchandise supporting tray I is formed of a sheet or blank of fibrous substantially rigid material and comprises a bottom portion 8 having upstanding flanges 9 on its longitudinal edges. These flanges are joined to the bottom portion by the cut score lines Ill. The flanges '1 Claims. (or. 205-4514) with the side walls H of the container as best shown in Fig. 2.

The flanges have longitudinally spaced forwardly inclined slots 12 extending from their upper edges, the slots of the flanges being transversely aligned and being adapted to grippingly receive the twisted ends I3 of the wrapper H. The wrappers are desirably of transparent material such, for example, as cellophane or Pliofilm. The objects illustrated in the accompanying drawing are sticks of candy indicated at l5.

are held in their upright position by means of the supporting feet or tabs 8| which are cut out from the bottom 8 and turned outwardly on the scores IN. The distance between the outer edges of the flange supporting tabs or feet is such that the tray is slidably received within the container, the feet serving as guides coacting The rear edges of the slots in the preferred embodiment illustrated are forwardly beveled at It to facilitate the engagement of the twisted ends of the wrappers in the slots. In loading a tray the operator grasps the piece of merchandise by its twisted ends l3 and pushes the twisted ends into opposed slots. The parts are desirably so proportioned that the merchandise is supported in spaced relation to the bottom as shown in Fig. 2, the pieces of merchandise being also spaced. This facilitates grasping of a selected piece of merchandise when the tray is withdrawn for a sale or if the whole package is sold the merchandise is securely supported so that it is not likely to be broken by rough handling and is attractively displayed being fully protected until the piece of merchandise is lifted from the tray and the ends of the wrapper untwisted.

I have illustrated and described my invention as applied to sticks of candy but it will be understood that various articles of merchandise may be attractively displayed and effectively supported. The diagonal lining in Fig. 1 is intended to indicate stripes on the candy strip and in as much as the wrappers are transparent and the container provided with a transparent window the goods are very effectively displayed and at the same time thoroughly protected. I

I have not attempted to illustrate or describe various embodiments or adaptations as it is believed that this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt my invention as may be desired,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: a

1. A container for articles of merchandise having wrappers twisted at both ends and providing article supporting elements, comprising a tubular container including a top wall, a bottom wall, opposed side walls and closure flaps at one end,

I said top wall having a window, a tray slidably received in said container and formed of a single blank sheet of substantially rigid fibrous mateadapted to grippingly and retainingly receive the twisted ends of the article wrappers for supporting the articles in longitudinally spaced relation and elevated above the bottom of the trayand beneath said window in the container top wall,

each flange having supporting tabs projecting outwardly from the bottom edges thereof, said tabs being integrally connected to the lower edges or the flanges and projecting outwardly of said loweredges in the plane of the bottom, said tabs in the blank sheet constituting portions of the bottom between the side flanges, the said tabs constituting guide members for the tray in the container and supporting the flanges in spaced relation to the side walls of the container,

said tabs being separately hingedly connected to go the bottom edges of the flanges and constituting means facilitating retention of the flanges in an upright position in the container, said tray being insertable into the container through the opening in the end of the container, closed by said end closure flaps and being slidable beneath the window in the container top wall in a direction longitudinally of said container side walls with said tabs in a slidable engagement with said opposed side walls.

- 2. A container for articles oi merchandise having wrappers twisted at both ends and providing article supporting elements, comprising a tubular container including a top wall, a bottom wall, opposed side walls and closure flaps at one end, said top wall having a window, a tray slidably received in said container and formed of a single blank sheet of substantially rigid fibrous material conformed to provide a bottom and upstanding flanges on its longitudinal edges, the o flanges having opposed longitudinally spaced slots opening at their upper edges and adapted to grippingly and retainingly receive the twisted ends of the article wrappers for supporting the articles in longitudinally spaced relation and beneath said window in the container top wall,

each flange having supporting tabs projecting outwardly irom the bottom edges thereof, said tabs being integrally connected to the lower edges of the flanges and projecting outwardly of said lower edges in the plane of the bottom, said tabs in the blank sheet constituting portions of the bottom between the side flanges, the said tabs constituting guide members for the tray in the container and supporting the flanges in spaced relation to the side walls of the con-J5 tainer, said tabs being separately hingedly connected to the bottom edges of the flanges and constituting means facilitating retention of the flanges in an upright position in the container,

said tray being insertable into the container 6 through the opening in the end or the container, closed by said end closure flaps and being slidable beneath the window in the container top wall in a direction longitudinally of said container side walls with said tabs in a slidable engagement 0' with said opposed side walls.

3. A container for articles of merchandise having wrappers twisted at both ends and providing article supporting elements, comprising a tubular container including a top wall, a bottom wall, opposed side walls and closure flaps at one end, said top wall having a window, a tray slidably received in said container and formed of a single sheet of substantially rigid fibrous material conformed to provide a bottom and upstanding flanges on its longitudinal edges, the flanges having opposed forwardly inclined longitudinally spaced slots opening at their upper edges and adapted to grippingly and retainingly receive the twisted ends of the article wrappers for supporting the articles in longitudinally spaced relation and elevated above the bottom of the tray and beneath said window in the container top wall, said flanges having tabs projecting laterally outwardl therefrom, said tray being insertable into the container through the opening in the end of the container closed by said end closure flaps and slidable beneath the window in the container top wall in a direction longitudinally of said container side walls with said tabs in sliding engagement with said opposed side walls.

4. A container for articles of merchandise having wrappers twisted at both ends and providing article supporting elements, comprising a tubular container including a top wall, a bottom wall,

opposed side walls and closure flaps at one end, said top wall having a window, a tray slidably received in said container and formed of a single sheet of substantially rigid flbrous material conformed to provide a bottom and upstanding flanges on its longitudinal edges, the flanges having opposed longitudinally spaced slots opening at their upper edges and adapted to grippingly and retainingly receive the twisted ends of the article wrappers for supporting the articles in lonigtudinally spaced relation and beneath said window in the container top wall, said flanges having tabs projecting laterally outwardly therefrom, said tray being insertable into the container through the opening in the end of the container closed by said end closure flaps and slidable beneath the window in the container top wall in a direction longitudinally of said container side walls with said tabs in sliding engagement with said opposed side walls.

5. A tray for articles having wrappers twisted at both ends and providing article supporting.

elements formed of a blank sheet of substantially rigid flbrous material and comprising a bottom and upstanding flanges on opposed edges, the flanges having opposed forwardly inclined longitudinally spaced slots opening at their upper edges for grippingly and retainingly receiving the twisted ends of the article wrappers for supporting the articles in longitudinally spaced relation and elevated above the bottom of the tray, the outer ends of the rear edges of the slots being rearwardly beveled facilitating the engagement of the twisted ends of the wrappers within the slots, each flange having supporting tabs projecting outwardly from the bottom edges thereof, said tabs being integrally connected to the lower edges of the flanges and projecting outwardly of said lower edges in the plane of the bottom, said tabs in the blank sheet constituting portions of the bottom between the side flanges, said tabs being hingedly connected to the bottom edges of said flanges and constituting means facilitating retention of said flanges in an upright position.

6. A tray for articles having wrappers twisted at both ends and providing article supporting elements formed of a blank sheet of substantially rigid fibrous material and comprising a bottom and upstanding flanges on opposed edges, the flanges having opposed longitudinally spaced slots opening at their upper edges for grippingly and retainingly receiving the twisted ends of the article wrappers for supporting the articles in longitudinally spaced relation, each flange having supporting tabs projecting outwardly from the bottom edges thereof, said tabs being integrally connected to the lower edges of the flanges and projecting outwardly of said lower edges in the plane of the bottom. said tabs in the blank sheet constituting portions of the bottom between the side flanges, said tabs being hingedly connected to the bottom edges of said flanges and constituting means facilitating retention of said flanges in an upright position.

' 7. A blank for a tray for articles having wrappers twisted at both ends, said blank being integral and of substantially rigid fibrous material, and having a pair of opposed side edges and a pair of score lines spaced inwardly from said edges to provide hinge joints for turning the side edge portions of the blank upwardly to provide vertical side flanges in the erected tray, the portion of the blank intermediate said score lines constituting the bottom of the erected tray, said blank having spaced parallel slots between said side edges and said score lines and opening outwardly along said side edges, said slots in the erected tray constituting means for receiving the twisted ends of the wrapper for the article,

said blank having incisions in, the portion thereof constituting the bottom of the tray, each incision at its opposite ends extending to adjacent one of said score lines to provide a tab to be folded outwardly about the score line as a hinge joint and to provide an outwardly projecting supporting tab hingedly connected to the lower edge of a vertical side flange in the,erected tray.

7 KENNETH T, BUT'IERY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 615,702 Hills Dec. 13, 1898 1,093,407 Hammond Apr. 14, 1914 1,879,952 Rosen Sept. 27, 1932 1,922,233 Cooney Aug. 15, 1933 2,008,335 Nuyts July 16, 1935 2,314,721 Lowenstein Mar. 23, 1943 2,339,555 Glass Jan. 18, 1944 2,426,899 Pantalone Sept. 2, 1947 

